Why is my toddler travel sick?

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Lots of children suffer from travel sickness though it tends not to start until after the age of two. If your child is often unhappy when travelling, then travel or motion sickness may be the cause.

Travel sickness can begin with a feeling of discomfort in the stomach, followed by an increase in saliva causing your child to dribble, feel hot, look pale, and finally, vomit. Researchers looking at seasickness have identified another set of symptoms of motion sickness. This can involve drowsiness, headache, depression, and general discomfort.

Travel sickness is caused by the brain receiving conflicting signals. The eyes send messages to the brain but the delicate balance mechanisms of the inner ear report something different. For instance, if you are looking at a book in a moving car, your eyes see the motionless book but your balance mechanisms are saying that you are moving.

It’s not always the motion that triggers the symptoms. Other triggers can be smells, frequent head movements, bendy roads or focusing on nearby objects. Understanding the causes and triggers for travel sickness and planning your journey carefully are the keys to happy travelling toddlers.

Try these tips to help your little one feel well on the journey:

Time your journey carefully. Travel sickness is less likely during sleep as your child’s brain is not being stimulated by what she sees around her. Once the journey has actually started and your child begins to feel ill, she may be less likely to go to sleep.

If possible, try putting your child to bed before you start your journey and transfer your sleepy toddler into her car seat without (hopefully) waking her up. Or try coinciding your journey with nap or sleep time. Some toddlers fall asleep the minute they hit the road!

Try not to give your toddler a full meal just before travelling. If she vomits, give her small sips of water. Dry crackers can be useful for older toddlers.

Keep the car cool and well-ventilated and don’t overdress your child in her car seat.

Try not to distract your toddler with toys or books, as these can make travel sickness symptoms worse. If your toddler is older, encourage her to focus forwards on long-distance objects like lorries, tractors or trees by playing “I spy…” games.

Put a sun-shade on the window on your child’s side of the car to help her look forward and to protect her from the heat of the sun.

Avoid any strong smells in the car. Don’t wear strong perfume or use overpowering air-fresheners.

Don't smoke in the car with your toddler, even with the windows open. Not only would this expose him to the dangerous chemicals in cigarettes, it could also make travel sickness worse. In fact, it's illegal to smoke in a car with anyone under 18 present.

Make sure your child’s head is well-supported in her car seat to prevent her from moving her head too much.

Toddlers of all ages respond to music. If it is something she’s familiar with, it’s more likely to distract her from feeling ill. Try putting on a well-loved CD of nursery rhymes or sing a few favourites.

If you think your toddler is going to be sick, take a couple of towels with you on your journey. Put one over your toddler and another over the car seat before you strap her in. Have a spare set of clothing packed just in case and bring some plastic bags for soggy towels and clothes, as well as some baby wipes to freshen up.

Anti-sickness medications containing hyoscine can be purchased over the counter from a pharmacist, for children who are two and over. Research studies have shown these to be very effective. Other remedies such as ginger preparations and acupressure bands can be popular. However these have not been medically proven to work.

Resist the temptation to stop travelling, as research among adults in America has shown that the symptoms do reduce after frequent exposure to travelling. The majority of children do grow out of travel sickness and as your child gets older she can tell you when she begins to feel queasy. So until then, stay calm, be well prepared for each journey and remember that travelling with your toddler gives her a whole wealth of experiences and opportunities, which she’ll remember for the rest of her life.

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